The Japanese government will announce a package of comprehensive measures to help other countries remove landmines, a well-informed source said Friday.
According to the source, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa will make the announcement on Saturday during her trip to Cambodia.
The aim is to utilise Japan and the Southeast Asian country’s expertise in mine clearance and help other countries, including Ukraine, facing this problem.
The package includes education to avoid the risk of mines, the supply of mine detectors, support for victims and the development of an artificial intelligence system to identify potential mine locations.
From 1970 onwards, a civil war raged in Cambodia for over 20 years, during which an estimated 4 to 6 million mines were buried.
Since 1998, Japan has supported the Cambodian Mine Action Centre’s mine clearance activities with subsidies. The centre shares its knowledge with other countries.
In Ukraine, where the large-scale Russian invasion is taking place, approximately 30% of the land surface is probably contaminated with buried mines and unexploded shells.
